


In The End Lies Glory

by poisonflowers



Series: Runa Cadash [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, trespasser dlc - Fandom
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Darkest Timeline, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Post-Trespasser, Qun-Loyal Iron Bull, Trespasser Spoilers, bad end iron bull
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-02-25
Packaged: 2018-05-23 05:23:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6106265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonflowers/pseuds/poisonflowers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I made a terrible mistake. </p><p>Or, The Iron Bull betrays the Inquisitor, but she still insists on giving him a funeral.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In The End Lies Glory

It had been difficult to convince anyone to go back through the Eluvians with her to collect his body. Cassandra had outright refused, Dorian had let loose an impressive string of curses in Tevine and run off- he apologized a few days later via sending crystal, but by then he was already on a boat bound for the Imperium. 

Varric hesitated, "look Comtesse, the Qunari aren't big on funerals. I admit I glossed over that bit in 'Tale of the Champion', but after after Hawke killed the Arishok all they wanted back was his sword. They didn't care about the body."

Cadash frowned, "I made him that sword, out of dawnstone. The Qunari better not have taken it! But Funerals aren't for the dead, Varric, they're for the living. I'm doing this for us."

"Then how about I meet you in the tavern when you're done? We can get hammered and give Tiny a proper dwarven wake."

***

So in the end, it was the just Sera, Blackwall, and the Inquisitor. 

No, not the Inquisitor. The Inquisition had disbanded, she could be Runa Cadash again. Not a leader, a herald, or even a carta thug anymore, just a one-armed dwarf with a few friends. 

"Let's go already. Got to make sure he's dead, right?" Sera said, wiping away an angry tear. "Plus, I get it. He was a friend, right up until that Viddy-whatsit got up in his head."

"Was he ever our friend? I don't know if we ever knew the real Iron Bull." Blackwall sighed and turned to Cadash, "but if you could forgive me, my lady, then I can forgive him."

***

His body was too heavy to be moved, so they built a funeral pyre in the Darvaarad, in the room overlooking the large chamber where the dragon Aatashi had been caged. The qunari had abandoned the place quickly so there was plenty of extra wood around. And bodies. They burnt those, too. 

While Sera and Blackwall kept lookout, Cadash sat on the cold stone floor, her chin resting on her knees, and stared into the flames. 

"Know what you're thinking, yeah, and you need to stop thinkin' it," Sera said. "It's not your fault."

"I made so many mistakes." Cadash said, "So many people died because of my bad decisions. First The Chargers and now...If I had done it different, if Krem were still alive to talk some sense into him, do you think Bull would still be alive?" She hid her face in the crook of her arm "that alliance was shit, anyway."

Blackwall knelt and wrapped an arm around her, "I've been down this path before, love. There's no use in it." He kissed the top of her head, "Think instead of all the people you saved. Half of Thedas would be dead if it wasn't for you."

"But I should have done more. Can do more. Smell of sea air and smoke, like that day on the Storm Coast...no more will die because of me."

"So that's what that's like," Cadash said,laughing a little through the tears. "I can see why the rest of you don't much care for it. Hello, Cole."

"Hello," the spirit said, as he faded into view seated beside her. 

"You told me once that you couldn't read my mind," Cadash said, "something about a bird against the sun?"

"The wolf eclipsed the sun, stole the little bird's wing," Cole said, rocking back and forth on his heels. "I can hear your hurt now. I want to help."

"Leave it alone, Creepy," Sera said, notching an arrow. "Some things are supposed to hurt."

"Here Cole," Blackwall said, "you can help me watch the fires."

"...that will help?"

"It just might. Rituals are a part of grieving. They help us say goodbye."

"It didn't hurt. In the end,he felt nothing. He wanted to be a thing, a weapon. Boss, bas. He made us into things, too, not-people so that our deaths wouldn't stick."

"Ugh, we should have brought booze!" Sera snapped, shooting her arrow into the fire. "Isn't a real funeral unless someone pisses themselves." 

Cadash could only nod her head in agreement.

Hours later they gathered the cooled ashes in an unused gaatlock container, and headed back to Skyhold.

***

Months later still, Cadash stood on the ramparts of Skyhold with the container of Bull's ashes, in the same spot where years before she had helped him say goodbye to The Chargers. 

"You want to remember the words, " Cole said, appearing beside her. "Ataash varin kata. Asit tal-eb."

Cadash smiled, "thank you, Cole. I didn't think 'return to the stone' would be an appropriate sentiment here." She cleared her throat, "Ataash varin kata. Asit tal-eb." In the end lies glory. She opened the container and let the wind carry away what was left of her friend.


End file.
